Interview with Paula Kankaanpää, Director of the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus.
During the latest CETAF Directors’ Summit, held in November in Berlin, we had the opportunity to speak with several leading directors of natural history institutions from across Europe. Their perspectives helped to highlight the growing importance of ensuring that scientific knowledge on biodiversity is effectively shared with society and policymakers.
In this edition of Faces of Taxonomy, we speak with Paula Kankaanpää, Director of the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, about the role of natural history museums in addressing biodiversity loss and strengthening the connection between science, policy, and the public. Museums hold vast collections, conduct research, and generate essential data that can inform decision-making and raise awareness about global environmental challenges.
The 2nd CETAF Directors’ Summit, organised with the support of the Botanic Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin / Freie Universität Berlin, provided a space to exchange ideas on how institutions can enhance their societal impact through research, exhibitions, and education, while also reinforcing cooperation across Europe to respond to shared scientific and policy challenges.
Paula Kankaanpää shared her views on the responsibility of natural history museums to ensure that their scientific knowledge on biodiversity is effectively used by society and policymakers, and on how networks such as CETAF play a key role in strengthening cooperation among institutions facing global environmental challenges.
What are the biggest challenges currently facing natural history museums and research institutions in Europe, according to you?
Biodiversity loss is one of the major challenges in the world. Natural history museums have a lot of knowledge in order to provide policymakers and decision-makers with information regarding biodiversity loss. They have the collections, they do research, and they have data. So the challenge is to get all this knowledge and information into use for the wider public and policymakers.
How do institutions like yours build stronger bridges between science and society, helping people to be aware of or understand some of these challenges, such as biodiversity loss?
Natural history museums do research. They have exhibitions and public attractions, and through their exhibitions they engage people, citizens, and schools. They also provide teaching in higher education institutions and universities. So natural history museums are much more than just cultural or historical attractions. They really have a lot of potential to influence societies, and they have many means to do that.
“The challenge is to get all this knowledge and information into use for the wider public and policymakers”
And you feel like you do influence society?
Yes, I do. I think we are used as experts for ministries and government. As I said, we provide teaching, we do high-quality research, and we have museums where people come and learn about biodiversity and nature. This kind of CETAF cooperation is extremely important and unique because natural history museums are quite unique institutions in each country, so they sometimes may feel a little bit alone.
CETAF brings them all together, and we have an opportunity to discuss these matters together.
Regarding CETAF, what do you think are the priorities for the CETAF community in the coming years?
I think getting closer, strengthening cooperation, and keeping the discussion going is the main priority. We need to support each other in these difficult times because the topic we deal with is so important and central for the world.
“We need to support each other in these difficult times because the topic we deal with is so important and central for the world”